Project Ole Yellar

[Smiliesafari]

Gary, why are you looking to spend a bunch of money on an aftermarket crank? Get a good old American Chevy 400 crank and have it machined to spec. You are not trying to build a 9 second strip only van. Or are you?

[rlsllc]

One piece rear main seal.

[1Gary]

Skip,
Just trying to buy a reliable drop in already balanced rotating assembly and I am doing the research so I am spending the money wisely.Also I am looking into rods that limit the amount of clearancing needed on the pan rail and balance well.

[1Gary]

This post is to give feedback to what I have found about Scat crank shafts for the benefit of interested members here and of course in part to help me make a wise decision.

http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopi ... 9b21951a5e



Also found this:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/eagle-s ... 32551.html

[1Gary]

One debate I have had with myself for awhile is once I have the sub frame from the van out,how was I going to move it back into the shop for more work on cleaning and painting the engine compartment,wheel wells.One answer was not to take out the sub frame until I was ready to install the one with the v8.Just take the engine and tranny out the front.But I think doing it this way would just lead to having the sub frame in my way for a really good clean and paint job.The other answer was to weld up some sort of temporary cradle with swivel wheels on it bolted to the forward and middle frame mounts to move it around.I have seen Roy do some interesting things with sub frames and wheels on the tranny cross member temporary.I am looking for some feedback and if anyone before has done it this way.

Thanks

[rlsllc]

Gary,

I would pull the subframe, remove the engine, etc, and just put the old subframe right back under the van. It takes like 10 minutes to position an empty subfame and bolt it in.

Pulling the engine from the front and trans from the bottom, or both from the front (good luck on that one), is WAY more work than just dropping the subframe, especially if you plan to eventually drop it anyway. I wouldn't even consider doing it from the front, no way no how. Much more work.

Once you work on an engine in a removed subframe, you'll never want to work on an assembled van again. It really spoils you. It's like having the engine on an engine stand while you unhook and hook everything up. I disassembled my 1989 4x4 truck yesterday, and I gotta tell ya, I considered just pulling the cab off of the truck.


If you want more room while working, get longer bolts and put blocks (like made from a 4x4 post) between the frame and body so you can have steering and brakes, etc, while you are working on it. There is a ton of room to work with the engine and trans out of the way. Too bad they have to be there, LOL.

You will have to extend the steering shaft if you use the blocks if you want steering (I would).

Good luck man, I'm going out to battle with mine in a few minutes!

EDIT: My biggest point was to retain the brakes and steering so you could easily move the body around, but also that it was quick, easy, and cheap (free) to just use the original subframe. I often have to move bodies around a great deal since I work in three different places. If this is not a concern, read below:

I like the idea of using just casters, but they'd have to be big and strong; and they would have to hold the van up about 20" or more. I'd prolly make an "H" frame, measured to bolt on the back four body bolts, and extend the casters down on square tubing between them, like on the cross bar of the "H". You could also just put a lagre square tube across the middle body bolts and use a big high lift jack to move it, or just casters on a square tube under the core support with blocks to space it down. That may be more in the way than under the van would be, I don't know.

That's all I could think of for now. I'd still just put the old subframe back in.

[1Gary]

Thanks Roy.Your right about using the old sub frame and I think that will be the way I will go.

[1Gary]

After months of research,reading user reviews,reading tons of material on Engine-builder.com,posting on the web,talking manufactures,I have come up with a combo for my 383 and here is the list:

The crank is a Howard's unit.Mainly because of the quality.Part number 35375ts2.It will require a main seal adapter part number SASBL and aligment tool number SBAT.These are a 4340 steel crank that is round as round can get and are balanced right.

The rods I looked long and hard at.Scat I-beam 4340's with 7/16"s ARP 8740 capscrews bushed will be the ones used on this build.These are profiled for stroker clearance.They are 610g rods.Part number SCRA7.

You wouldn't believe it,but to find a good set of pistons for a 383 that are accepting of 87 gas with either a 64cc head or a 72cc head cast iron is a lot like looking for teeth in a chicken.Seriously.The market for that is tough.Cheap pistons are what they sound like.CHEAP.Issues like carbon build up behind the rings because of poor design are more common than most cast piston manufactures want to admit.KB's are junk followed by Eagles and a close third is Scat's.Now I am not in the mind frame to spend over a thousand for a custom set either.So I kept coming up with combo's that everyone wanted to sell for compression ratios of 9.5 or more.Tons over 10 to 1's.For me to use this engine as a tow van primarily a target compression ratio of low 9's was the goal.At first I thought Mahle's was the ticket which are a dished piston with a part number of SBC425030I26 which to get a compression ratio of 9.2 would require 0 deck,<cut the block to 0 deck>,12 to 15 thousands off RHS 64 cc cast iron heads,cut the intake to match the cut on the deck.I called the machine shop and told my machinist about what I was considering and he must have thought I was crazy like a loom.Buying a special order piston like that which are in the ball park of $700 bucks and still having to pay for all that machine work too to get it to work. ](*,)He calls me back and leaves a msg on a tip for TRW's at Summit.The part number he said is L2256F with a compression ratio of 9.6.I try to find it on line with Summit's web site and no luck.Not the least of which leaves me right back on the high side of a target compression ratio.Yepper the same marry-go-round.So I called Mahle again this morning telling them over the months of looking what I have found and how frustrating it's getting.Finally I found what I needed and wanted.Mahle's part number SBC425030I16.A drop in forged full floater piston with a excellent design that is 9.1 with a RHS 72cc cast iron head.Amen.The main difference is this is a dished 16 cc volume piston over the first one they suggested which is a dished 26cc volume piston.At last I have a list to work off for the rotating assembly.

Still stay the course on the cam I think will work the best.Lockdoc used it in a 355 and everyone raved about it.It's a hydro roller that is the GM part number of 14097395.The spec's are:

288/308 duration@050 tappet lift

196/206 max lift 1.5.1 rocker ratio

431/451

109 center line.

I am staying on the smaller size of a cam solely because of the chosen compression ratio.

Coming soon will be pixs of the parts as I get them and pixs of the short block once it is done.Yepper-going to get my pix's friendly computer fixed and batteries for the camera and a new card for it.

This week even through the LT isn't exactly where I would want it,the Ole Yellar van is coming off the road.Period.Long,long over due to get this show "mod" started.

Stay tuned................more to come.

[Rebel]

Sounds like you're getting there Gary,,keep those cards and letters coming and oh yes,,pics.

[1Gary]

Well after much frustration mainly because it is hard to get three people all that the same place at the same time(the seller,tow guy and me),the Florida Ole Yellar will be to it's new home at the pole barn on Thrus.The first thing I need to do is to repair the Alt on the shop van.It's been long over due and I will take that to my re-builder that I have used for yrs.Using a favor and will only cost $45.00 plus I am going to put on a new belt.That will return that back to the reliability I need.Then I am going to look at Ole Yellar to see why I don't have power to anything on that.Thinking it is the fuse able link that was suggested.I hate taking apart something that is broken and then have to deal with that later.I am insuring it for the full boat,but I will not license it so I am not temped to drive it before all the work is done.

I am taking pixs along the way to post.Still don't have a computer to post them.I do have two lines on computers I want.Hoping to get after saving some more a windows 7 pro which I would be thrilled to have.Then maybe get a phone line to the shop to put this one there.A little concerned about a computer in the shop because of that being a distraction over getting work done,but then again it "could be" a pretty good tool to have on hand.

I have to unload one more trailer's worth of parts and equipment yet.Then sort out it all and put away to settle it all in.

BTW:Any local or "near by" members are welcome to come by to check it out.I am very proud of the new work shop and the progress I hope to make with it into a very nice shop.I am finding the landlord to be very supportive.From offering me any lighting he has on hand to a 165,000 salamander heater he has that needs a little TLC.

So Dean or anyone else that would like to visit.Just PM me.LOL-I might find something interesting to do.......I'll light up the BBQ too or we could take a break to the Hilton State park beach a mile away in the summer.

Man I feel blessed with all this.Might be the break I have been looking for all long.Yepper,lately I have been looking upward doing a lot of thanking.

[1Gary]

Ole Yellar is at it's new home in the pole barn...................

[MountainManJoe]

pics please!

[1Gary]

pics please!

TB-I still need to replace my computer.I am taking a number photo's while I get the cash for that.Sorry man,I do very much want to share more.

[loopie]

Did you consider the 400sbc? Big power on 87* gas.

[1Gary]

I bought a donor 1989 Astro window van that had a TBI 5.7 1996 crate engine and a 1991 truck 700R tranny and a converted wire harness.I harvested the engine/tranny,harness,and sub frame.The engine is being built for a 383 stroker.I then junked the donor van.